He had almost completely disappeared into the visitor's tunnel at the Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C., when he suddenly felt a sharp sting on his helmet-less forehead. Stork looked down. A partially dented orange was resting at his feet after it had smacked him in the head. That was two years ago.

After jumping out to a quick lead on the road Saturday, the Seminoles pounded the host Terrapins 41-14 in a win that clinched the ACC's Atlantic Division and officially placed FSU in the conference championship for the second time in three seasons. The last time the Seminoles played for the ACC crown, Virginia Tech beat them, 44-33, earning a berth into the Orange Bowl.

One gleeful Hokies fan was so punch-drunk off the victory that he pelted Stork with the orange.

"It's one of our major goals," Seminoles coach Jimbo Fisher said about winning the division. "Everybody talks about the national championship. You have to win your conference, and you've got to be able to win your division."

For now, there is no ACC Coastal Division winner. Several scenarios still exist that could send either Georgia Tech or Miami to Charlotte in two weeks to face the 10th-ranked Seminoles (10-1, 7-1 ACC).

For the next seven days, though, none of those scenarios matter, the Seminoles said.

"We're very excited . . . but then we've got this game coming up against our rivals," receiver Kenny Shaw said. "We're going to focus on that first."

The Florida Gators (10-1) come to Tallahassee Saturday. Since both teams won this week, the meeting will be the first since 2000 that each enters with one regular-season loss. That season, the Gators were 9-1, while FSU was 10-1.

FSU will try to duplicate the formula it used during its win over Maryland. Against the Terrapins (4-7, 2-5), the Seminoles had multiple early, unanswered scores; a heavy dose of a solid rushing game; timely, accurate, big-play passes; effective defense; and flawless special teams.

Before Maryland's offense could even get on the field, FSU jumped out to a quick 14-0 lead just six minutes into the game.

At the end of an 11-play, 61-yard opening drive that featured eight rushing plays, the Seminoles got on the scoreboard with a 5-yard touchdown run by sophomore tailback Devonta Freeman. It was this first of two rushing scores he had in the game. Five of the eight carries on the drive went to him. Most of them ended only after he had been hit more than once.

As a group, FSU's ballcarriers rushed for 237 yards. It was only the second time in five road games that they exceeded the 200-yard rushing mark. Coming one week after they ran for -15 yards at Virginia Tech, the outing was one the Seminoles needed to have.

"It was just a bitter taste. Negative rushing yards? No team wants that; especially not the offensive line, but no running back wants that," said Freeman, who finished with a career-high 148.

On the kickoff following Freeman's first score, FSU forced and recovered a Maryland fumble. One play later, the Seminoles ended up back in the end zone after a 10-yard touchdown pass from Manuel to tight end Nick O'Leary.

The Seminoles didn't look back

"It was real huge," defensive tackle Demonte McAllister said of the quick start. "We knew they were going to come out all amped up and ready to play and if they got any confidence, that was going to jumpstart something."

The only thing that was jumpstarted Saturday was FSU's own Orange Bowl hopes.